As it turns out, Jason Kidd wasn't plotting an exit strategy at all when he had his rant in Salt Lake City 13 days ago.

In effect, he was actually trying to form a more lasting union.

The Nets had turned down Kidd's appeal for a contract extension just days before he made his bleak assertion about the team's future, according to three people close to the point guard who requested anonymity, so as not to damage his relationship with the team.

The 13th-year pro, one of the great players of his generation, makes $19.7 million this season and $21.4 million next year, the final year of his deal, which makes him currently eligible for a one-year extension for the 2009-10 season -- or a two-year extension, if he waits until this summer.

But Kidd would be 36 when that $24 million thank-you gift would kick in, so when agent Jeff Schwartz asked team president Rod Thorn to discuss it, he was told it isn't in the cards.

That rejection, Kidd's associates say, was at the root of his frustration -- though the team's play had a lot to do with it as well.

"Let's face it, he considers himself the face of franchise, and feels he should be rewarded as such," one associate said. "And he's still busting his butt, playing better than ever, and sees that they're rewarding other guys. You can understand why the greatest player in franchise history believes he deserves to get what other guys are getting."

That was a reference to Vince Carter's $61.8 million extension, which he signed this past summer. The difference, of course, is that Carter is only 30. So Thorn informed Schwartz that ownership cannot pay close to that sum for someone who turns 37 during that extension year.

Kidd, who in days following the Salt Lake City snit said he wants to remain in New Jersey, would not comment on the specifics of his contract discussions.

--Sean Williams made another solid bid for more playing time, with four blocks and five rebounds in last night's 94-92 overtime victory over the Sixers, but Lawrence Frank didn't commit himself to allowing the rookie to play through his mistakes.

"When you are about to pull him out, he gets those blocks for us," said the coach, referring to a three-block sequence in the first three minutes of the second quarter. "The key is we have to push him ... but he can definitely help us."

Kidd dissented, slightly: "Yeah, you've got to play Sean," he said. "From being a guy who can change shots, block shots. I thought his improvement (against Philly) was understanding and playing inside-out. I thought he did a great job."

--Kerry Kittles is about to be leapfrogged -- twice. The second-leading scorer in Nets history has 7,096 points, but both Richard Jefferson (7,051 points) and Kidd (6,928) are within striking distance, which should drop Kittles to fourth by the end of next week.

--Kidd also has another milestone on the horizon: He is only 115 assists shy of tying boyhood chum Gary Payton for the No. 6 spot in NBA history. At his current rate of 10.5 assists per game, Kidd (8,849) should pass The Glove (8,964) when the Nets play Sacramento on Dec. 18.